Checklist: Birds of Sherwood Island State Park

A list of 284 species was compiled in the mid-1990s by Robert Winkler, with contributions from Richard Soffer, Frank Mantlik and Charles Barnard Jr. The list published in 1996 is available here.

Additions since 1996 (shown in red): Ross’s Goose, Yellow Rail, Marbled Godwit, Black Skimmer, Cave Swallow, Dicksissel, Clay-colored Sparrow, Smith’s Longspur, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Boat-tailed Grackle, Western Meadowlark and Yellow-throated Warbler – all Very Rare. And also: Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, common in Fall.

Note: Robert Winkler’s birding experiences at Sherwood Island are recorded in his book Going Wild and in essays.

Family	Species	N	Spring	Summer	Fall	Winter
Loons	Red-throated Loon		FC		FC	UC
	Common Loon		FC	R	FC	UC
Grebes	Pied-billed Grebe		R		R	R
	Horned Grebe		C		C	FC
	Red-necked Grebe		R		R
	Eared Grebe					VR
Gannets	Northern Gannet		R		R
Pelicans	American White Pelican			VR
Cormorants & Darters	Great Cormorant		FC		FC	FC
	Double-crested Cormorant		C	C	C	R
Bitterns & Herons	American Bittern		R		R	R
	Least Bittern		VR		VR
	Great Blue Heron		UC	FC	FC	FC
	Great Egret		FC	FC	C	VR
	Snowy Egret		C	FC	C
	Little Blue Heron		UC	UC	UC
	Tricolored Heron		R	R	R
	Cattle Egret		UC	R	R
	Green Heron		UC	FC	FC
	Black-crowned Night-Heron		FC	FC	FC	R
	Yellow-crowned Night-Heron		VR	VR
Ibis	Glossy Ibis		UC	UC	R
Swans, Geese, Ducks	Tundra Swan		VR
	Mute Swan	N	FC	FC	FC	FC
	Greater White-fronted Goose				VR
	Snow Goose		UC		UC	R
	Ross’s Goose					VR
	Brant		UC		UC	R
	Canada Goose	N	C	C	C	C
	Wood Duck		R		R
	Green-winged Teal		FC		FC	R
	American Black Duck	N	C	FC	C	C
	Mallard	N	C	FC	C	C
	Northern Pintail		R		R	R
	Blue-winged Teal		UC		UC
	Northern Shoveler		R		R
	Gadwall		UC		UC	R
	Eurasian Wigeon		R		R	R
	American Wigeon		FC		C	FC
	Canvasback		FC		FC	UC
	Redhead		VR
	Ring-necked Duck		R		R
	Greater Scaup		UC		UC	UC
	Lesser Scaup		R		R	R
	King Eider		VR			VR
	Long-tailed Duck		C		C	C
	Black Scoter		VR		VR	VR
	Surf Scoter		UC		UC	UC
	White-winged Scoter		FC		FC	FC
	Common Goldeneye		C		C	C
	Barrow’s Goldeneye		R		R	R
	Bufflehead		C		C	FC
	Hooded Merganser		FC	R	FC	UC
	Common Merganser		R		R
	Red-breasted Merganser		C		C	C
	Ruddy Duck		VR		VR	VR
Kites, Eagles, Hawks	Black Vulture		VR
	Turkey Vulture		UC		UC
	Osprey	N	UC	R	C
	Bald Eagle		R		R	R
	Northern Harrier		UC		FC	R
	Sharp-shinned Hawk		UC		FC	R
	Cooper’s Hawk		R		UC
	Northern Goshawk		R		R
	Red-shouldered Hawk		R		UC	R
	Broad-winged Hawk		UC		UC
	Red-tailed Hawk		FC		FC	FC
	Rough-legged Hawk				R	R
	Golden Eagle				VR
Falcons	American Kestrel		UC		FC	R
	Merlin		R		UC	R
	Peregrine Falcon		R		R
Grouse, Turkeys, Quail	Ring-necked Pheasant	N	FC	FC	FC	FC
	Wild Turkey		VR
Rails, Gallinules, Coots	Clapper Rail	N	UC	R	UC	R
	Yellow Rail				VR
	King Rail		VR
	Virginia Rail		R		R	R
	Sora		VR		VR
	Common Moorhen		VR
	American Coot				R	R
Cranes	Sandhill Crane					VR
Plovers	Black-bellied Plover		FC		C	UC
	American Golden-Plover		R		R
	Semipalmated Plover		FC		C
	Piping Plover		VR		VR
	Killdeer	N	FC	FC	C	UC
Oystercatchers	American Oystercatcher		R	R	R
Stilts & Avocets	American Avocet				VR
Sandpipers & Phalaropes	Greater Yellowlegs		C		C	R
	Lesser Yellowlegs		UC		FC
	Solitary Sandpiper		UC		UC
	Willet		R		UC
	Spotted Sandpiper		FC		FC
	Upland Sandpiper		R		R
	Whimbrel				R
	Hudsonian Godwit				VR
	Marbled Godwit		VR
	Ruddy Turnstone		UC		FC	R
	Red Knot				VR
	Sanderling		R		UC	R
	Semipalmated Sandpiper		FC		C
	Western Sandpiper				R
	Least Sandpiper		FC		C
	White-rumped Sandpiper				R
	Baird’s Sandpiper				VR
	Pectoral Sandpiper		R		FC
	Purple Sandpiper					VR
	Dunlin		FC		C	FC
	Stilt Sandpiper				R
	Buff-breasted Sandpiper				VR
	Ruff		VR
	Short-billed Dowitcher		UC		FC
	Common Snipe		FC		UC	R
	American Woodcock	N	UC	R	UC	R
	Wilson’s Phalarope		VR		VR
Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers	Laughing Gull		UC	FC	C
	Bonaparte’s Gull		UC		UC	UC
	Ring-billed Gull		C	FC	C	C
	Herring Gull		C	C	C	C
	Iceland Gull		VR			VR
	Lesser Black-backed Gull		R		R	R
	Glaucous Gull		VR			VR
	Great Black-backed Gull		FC	FC	FC	FC
	Caspian Tern		VR		VR
	Common Tern		FC	FC	FC
	Forster’s Tern				UC
	Least Tern		FC	FC	UC
	Black Tern		VR		VR
	Black Skimmer			VR
Pigeons & Doves	Rock Dove	N	UC	FC	UC	UC
	Mourning Dove	N	C	C	FC	FC
Parrots	Monk Parakeet		FC	FC	FC	UC
Cuckoo	Black-billed Cuckoo		R		R
	Yellow-billed Cuckoo		R		R
Barn Owl	Barn Owl		VR
Typical Owls	Eastern Screech-Owl		R	R	R	R
	Great Horned Owl	N	R	R	R	R
	Snowy Owl					VR
	Barred Owl					VR
	Long-eared Owl					VR
	Short-eared Owl		R		R	R
	Northern Saw-whet Owl					VR
Goatsuckers	Common Nighthawk		R		C
	Whip-poor-will		VR
Swifts	Chimney Swift		FC		FC
Hummingbirds	Ruby-throated Hummingbird		UC		FC
Kingfishers	Belted Kingfisher	N	UC	UC	FC	UC
Woodpeckers	Red-headed Woodpecker		VR		VR	VR
	Red-bellied Woodpecker		UC	R	FC	UC
	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker		UC		UC	R
	Downy Woodpecker	N	FC	FC	FC	FC
	Hairy Woodpecker		UC	R	UC	UC
	Northern Flicker	N	C	FC	C	UC
	Pileated Woodpecker		VR		VR
Tyrant Flycatchers	Olive-sided Flycatcher		VR
	Eastern Wood-Pewee		FC		FC
	Yellow-bellied Flycatcher		VR		VR
	Acadian Flycatcher		R		R
	Alder Flycatcher		R		R
	Willow Flycatcher	N	FC	FC	UC
	Least Flycatcher		UC		UC
	Eastern Phoebe		FC		FC
	Great Crested Flycatcher		UC	R	UC
	Western Kingbird				VR
	Eastern Kingbird	N	FC	UC	UC
Larks	Horned Lark		UC		FC	UC
Swallows	Purple Martin		UC	R	R
	Tree Swallow	N	C	UC	C
	Northern Rough-winged Swallow	N	FC	UC	FC
	Bank Swallow		UC		FC
	Cliff Swallow		R		R
	Cave Swallow				VR
	Barn Swallow	N	C	C	C
Jays & Crows	Blue Jay	N	C	FC	C	FC
	American Crow	N	C	C	C	C
	Fish Crow	N	FC	FC	FC	UC
Chickadees & Titmice	Black-capped Chickadee	N	C	FC	C	FC
	Tufted Titmouse	N	C	FC	FC	UC
Nuthatches	Red-breasted Nuthatch		UC		FC	UC
	White-breasted Nuthatch	N	FC	UC	FC	UC
Creepers	Brown Creeper		UC		UC	UC
Wrens	Carolina Wren	N	FC	FC	FC	UC
	House Wren	N	FC	FC	FC
	Winter Wren		UC		UC
	Marsh Wren	N	UC	R	UC	R
Kinglets & Thrushes	Golden-crowned Kinglet		FC		C	FC
	Ruby-crowned Kinglet		FC		C	R
	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher		UC		UC
	Northern Wheatear				VR
	Eastern Bluebird	N	UC	UC	UC
	Veery		UC		UC
	Gray-cheeked Thrush		R		R
	Swainson’s Thrush		UC		UC
	Hermit Thrush		FC		FC	R
	Wood Thrush		UC		UC
	American Robin	N	C	C	FC	R
Thrashers	Gray Catbird	N	C	C	C	R
	Northern Mockingbird	N	FC	FC	C	FC
	Brown Thrasher	N	UC	UC	UC	R
Pipits	American Pipit		UC		FC	R
Waxwings	Cedar Waxwing	N	C	UC	FC	UC
Shrikes	Northern Shrike				VR
Starlings	European Starling	N	C	C	C	C
Vireos	White-eyed Vireo		UC		UC
	Blue-headed Vireo		UC		UC
	Yellow-throated Vireo		UC		UC
	Warbling Vireo	N	C	FC	UC
	Philadelphia Vireo				R
	Red-eyed Vireo		FC		FC
Wood-warblers	Blue-winged Warbler		UC		UC
	Golden-winged Warbler		VR		VR
	Tennessee Warbler		UC		UC
	Orange-crowned Warbler				VR
	Nashville Warbler		FC		UC
	Northern Parula		C		FC
	Yellow Warbler	N	C	C	FC
	Chestnut-sided Warbler		FC		FC
	Magnolia Warbler		C		FC
	Cape May Warbler		UC		UC
	Black-throated Blue Warbler		FC		FC
	Yellow-rumped Warbler		C		C	R
	Black-throated Green Warbler		FC		FC
	Blackburnian Warbler		UC		UC
	Yellow-throated Warbler		VR
	Pine Warbler		UC		UC
	Prairie Warbler		UC		UC
	Palm Warbler		FC		FC	R
	Bay-breasted Warbler		UC		UC
	Blackpoll Warbler		FC		UC
	Black-and-white Warbler		C		FC
	American Redstart		C		C
	Worm-eating Warbler		VR
	Ovenbird		FC		FC
	Northern Waterthrush		UC		UC
	Connecticut Warbler				VR
	Mourning Warbler		R		R
	Common Yellowthroat	N	C	C	C	R
	Hooded Warbler		R		R
	Wilson’s Warbler		FC		UC
	Canada Warbler		FC		FC
	Yellow-breasted Chat		R		R	VR
Tanagers	Scarlet Tanager		UC		UC
Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings	Northern Cardinal	N	FC	FC	FC	FC
	Rose-breasted Grosbeak		UC		UC
	Blue Grosbeak		VR
	Indigo Bunting		UC		UC
	Dickcissel				VR
Towhees, Sparrows, Longspurs	Eastern Towhee		FC	R	FC	R
	American Tree Sparrow		UC		FC	FC
	Chipping Sparrow	N	C	FC	UC
	Clay-colored Sparrow				VR
	Field Sparrow		UC		UC	R
	Vesper Sparrow		R		UC
	Lark Sparrow				VR
	Savannah Sparrow		C	R	C	UC
	Le Conte’s Sparrow				VR
	Saltmarsh Sparrow	N	FC	UC	FC
	Nelson’s Sparrow				C
	Seaside Sparrow		R	R	R
	Fox Sparrow		UC		UC	R
	Song Sparrow	N	C	C	C	FC
	Lincoln’s Sparrow		UC		UC
	Swamp Sparrow		UC		C	R
	White-throated Sparrow		C		C	FC
	White-crowned Sparrow		UC		FC
	Dark-eyed Junco		FC		C	FC
	Lapland Longspur				R	R
	Smith’s Longspur		VR
	Snow Bunting				FC	FC
Blackbirds & Orioles	Bobolink		UC		FC
	Red-winged Blackbird	N	C	C	FC	R
	Eastern Meadowlark		UC	R	FC	R
	Western Meadowlark		VR
	Yellow-headed Blackbird				VR
	Rusty Blackbird		VR		VR
	Common Grackle	N	C	C	UC	R
	Boat-tailed Grackle		VR
	Brown-headed Cowbird	N	C	FC	UC	R
	Orchard Oriole	N	FC	FC	R
	Baltimore Oriole	N	C	C	UC
Finches	Purple Finch		UC		UC	R
	House Finch	N	C	C	C	FC
	Red Crossbill					VR
	White-winged Crossbill					VR
	Common Redpoll					VR
	Pine Siskin				UC	R
	American Goldfinch	N	FC	FC	C	UC
	Evening Grosbeak				VR
Old World Sparrows	House Sparrow	N	C	C	C	UC

Code key:	Top of page
C: Common, nearly always seen FC: Fairly common, usually seen UC: Uncommon, sometimes seen	R: Rare, infrequently seen, but expected in proper season VR: Very rare, very infrequently seen; some years absent; includes accidentals.  N: Nesting.
Data from “Checklist: Birds of Sherwood Island State Park” (c) 1996 by Robert Winkler